Panic Room
by Happy Happy Punk
Summary: “Princess,” he said seriously, interrupting her thoughts. “When was the last time you slept?” TrainxEve. Twoshot
1. Panic Room

**A/N: Okay, so I just started Black Cat (manga) last week, and I'm in, like, the middle of volume 8 or 9 or so, and I'm in LOVE with this pairing, but there aren't enough shippers for it, if you ask me. So I thought I'd go ahead and join the cause! TrainxEve yayness! But if I have any facts wrong, it's because I haven't finished the series yet, and I haven't even started the anime. I'll probably post another TrainxEve story when I'm finished reading, though. Maybe a sequel to this, ne? ****By the way, I know the whole nightmare routine has been done again and again in the Black Cat fandom, but I couldn't resist. It's just so adorable! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat. If I did, there'd be a lot more TrainxEve fluffiness.**

**Pairing: TrainxEve**

**Manga or anime: Manga**

**Time: Just a little after Train and Sven rescue Eve from Torneo**

**~Panic Room~**

Train was out most nights, so at first he didn't notice. She was sleeping when he left; she'd still be knocked out when he got back. And on the rare nights he did stay to get a good night's sleep, he was so deep in slumber nothing could wake him. Sven, of course, was such a heavy sleeper a bomb could probably go off under his bed and he'd be none the wiser. So when Eve first started traveling with them, neither of them knew.

Eventually, however, Train started to get suspicious. Sometimes her eyelids would start to droop when she was reading, or she'd walk a little slower and fall behind them. The light purple circles under her eyes got darker every day. Occasionally it'd take her a few seconds to answer a question, as if she was having trouble processing what was said to her. She even started to drift off every now and then, when she thought he and Sven weren't paying attention.

And then, one night, he returned from his moonlighting to find her sitting on the kitchen counter, eyes wide and alert. And suddenly, Train understood.

Eve didn't sleep much. At all.

"Hey, princess, what're you doing up so late?" he asked, walking over to the fridge. With practiced ease, he opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of milk, popped the lid and closed the door, almost simultaneously. Eve watched with dull eyes, unimpressed. "Isn't it a bit past your bedtime?"

Eve shook her head as Train hopped on the counter beside her. He tossed his head back and downed a huge gulp of milk, swinging his legs back and forth, carelessly letting them hit the counter with a _tha-thunk, tha-thunk_.

"You'll wake Sven up," Eve commented.

"Nah, I doubt it," Train replied before drinking the last of his milk. He tossed the empty bottle into the trash can beside the counter. "So what are you doing up at…," Train glanced at the clock, his eyes widening slightly as he realized just how late it was. "…4:30 a.m.? Princess, staying up late stunts your growth." _Not sure if that applies to nanotechnology, though…_

That caught her attention. "It does?" she asked, looking a little concerned.

"Yep. At this rate you'll be a shortie forever," he teased.

While Eve took a moment to think that over, Train studied her carefully. The bags under her eyes were impressive; it was starting to look like someone had sucker punched her in the face. She had a weary slouch in her shoulders, her eyelids kept drooping before suddenly snapping wide open. Her eyes were tired and unfocused.

"Princess," he said seriously, interrupting her thoughts. "When was the last time you slept?"

Eve shot him a glare, stubbornly refusing to answer him. Train sighed.

"You know you're gonna need to sleep sometime if you want to keep up with Sven and me."

"You don't sleep at night," Eve argued.

"I take naps all day," Train countered. When Eve didn't answer he grinned, sensing a victory. "C'mon, princess, what's wrong?"

Silence settled over them for a few moments. Train didn't really expect her to answer; she was _Eve_, after all, who only thought of him as a rival. He knew there was no way she'd spill her heart out to him, not-

"Nightmares."

Train's head whipped around so fast he thought he felt it break. It was barely a whisper, but he was sure Eve had said something. "What was that?"

"Nightmares. I get nightmares," she told him, her usually monotone words coming out in a rush. "Of Torneo. Of what he made me do. Of all the people I…I killed."

Train listened with amazement, astounded that she would confide in him. Sure, she had once before, but that had ended with her declaring her rivalry with him, and he hadn't expected her to share anymore secrets with him after that.

He also felt a bit of empathy for the girl. All his life he had suffered from nightmares, from when his parents were killed to when he became a Chrono's number to when Saya died.

"I just…they're horrible, and when I sleep I _always _have bad dreams. I don't know how to get rid of them. I don't think I can," she continued with a shaky voice. "And I pretend to sleep so Sven won't worry, but…If I don't sleep I don't have nightmares. And I just can't deal with them anymore."

"Princess," Train whispered. Eve stared at her dangling feet, her bangs concealing her eyes. But Train could still see her lips tremble and watched helplessly as she brought a hand up to rub her eyes, catching her tears before he could see them. She was _crying. _She was _scared._

He had never seen her look so forlorn.

And he had no idea how he could make it better. When he was Eve's age and had nightmares, all he could think about was how much he wished someone could scare them away for him, keep him safe while he dreamed…

Suddenly, an idea struck him and he hopped off the counter. Eve watched with confused, teary eyes as Train offered her a hand and helped her down. He kept a firm grasp on her hand and gently tugged at it, urging her to follow him as he navigated the halls of their hideout. He reached his destination and stopped, opening a door and ushering her in.

"But Train," Eve said as the smell of milk and blood and Train's unique scent hit her, "this is your room."

"Yep!" he affirmed cheerfully. "My room is more lived in than yours, so it's homier. Plus, you haven't had any nightmares in here yet, have you?"

"No, but…"

Train led her towards his bed, gently pushing her onto the mattress. "Go ahead, lay down."

"Train, I don't really understand –"

Train ignored her, sliding under the covers next to her.

"Train, what are you…?" Eve trailed off as she felt Train's arms wrap around her, pulling her close to his chest.

"See? Safe," he told her softly. "I promise, as long as you're with me, I won't let any nightmares scare you. My room is your panic room."

Eve wanted to doubt him, wanted to tell him that he couldn't keep the nightmares away, it was a foolish idea, but…it was _warm_ and _comfortable _and…well, she _did _feel safe.

And really, _really _tired.

"Whether it's nightmares or corrupted scientists or bad guys or whatever, I'll _always _keep you safe, princess," he pledged so quietly Eve almost didn't hear him, even pressed up against him so close.

"I…," Eve wasn't sure what to say. A strange feeling was blossoming in her chest, one she had never felt before and couldn't really explain. She shyly wrapped her arms around Train, bringing herself closer to him so she could take in his scent and listen to his heartbeat. Train chuckled lightly, burying his face in her hair. "Thank you, Train," she mumbled into his shirt.

"No prob, princess. Can't have sleep deprivation keep you from reaching the top shelf someday, can we?"

Eve tried to look up and glare at him, but their positions and the foreign emotion made it hard. She settled for lightly hitting his shoulder instead. Train just laughed silently.

"G'night, princess."

"Good night, Train."

**A/N: Whoot! That was fun to write. I'll probably write another chapter to this, about that weird super strong dude and the gunman guy from Apostles of the Stars, and how they hurt Eve, and how that effected Train, especially since (in this story) he promised to keep her safe. But I'll probably try to finish the manga first...maybe. How 'bout it?**


	2. Morning, Princess

**A/N: I'M DONE WITH THE MANGA! That makes me both happy and sad. And I'm halfway through the anime. I think I prefer the manga, it's a lot less depressing. But at the same time, the anime has some really cute TrainxEve moments early on…hm. Hard to say.**

**Anyway, I actually almost finished another version of this chapter, with a way different storyline, but my muse ninja'd me and I liked this idea better. I mean, we see so many TrainxEve nightmare fics, but do we ever see the morning after?**

**Disclaimer: IS TRAINxEVE CANON? No? Then I don't own it. (Although I really wish I owned Train…but don't we all? But oh! I GOT A TRAIN PLUSHIE! *punches air* And next I'm gonna order some anime DVDs!)**

**~Morning, Princess~**

**~...-WARNING-…~**

**Mentions events that only occur in the manga**

That night, Eve slept better than she had in a long time. She probably could have slept in until the sun set again, then slept through the next night too.

But she woke up at the crack of dawn, embarrassed and blushing madly, trying to escape from Train's arms without waking him up. Eve had always thought he would be a heavy sleeper, but apparently she had been wrong, and she realized her misassumption when his arms only tightened around her. He cracked open one eye lazily, and Eve saw a question in the golden orb.

"I'm going to make breakfast before Sven wakes up," she mumbled, thanking God she managed to keep herself from stuttering. But her tone still had a hint of breathlessness in it, and Eve thought the words tumbled from her lips a little too quickly.

Train noticed and grinned in amusement, letting her go before turning over in the bed and burrowing back into his blankets. Eve rushed to the door, not even brave enough to glance back at his sleeping form.

She was absolutely _horrified_. He was her _rival_, right?

…Right? _Right?_

She really didn't know anymore.

~*TxE*~

A few weeks passed. Sven was none the wiser and Train acted no differently. And for the most part, neither did she. But sometimes she'd blush when he got a little too close, or when he stared at her a little too long.

It was so _irritating._

Still, she was sure that as long as she put as much time as possible between her and the "sleep-deprived incident", everything would return to normal. She just had to keep it as far as possible from her mind and make sure there were no repeats. Easy.

And then the nightmares returned.

They started again after she met Durham, the gunman for the Apostles of the Stars. Sure, Train had beat him for her, but whenever she closed her eyes she saw him, his gun cocked and aimed at her chest, ready to blow her heart to bits.

After Sven and Train left, the thoughts lurking behind her eyelids only grew darker, to the point where she was almost afraid to blink. Staying with Annette, she hadn't slept at all.

Yet when she finally returned to traveling with her partners, she didn't take Train up on his still-standing offer, not at first. The knowledge that Sven was sleeping in the next room over would be enough to keep her fears at bay, she told herself.

She was wrong. The night, when she finally managed to fall asleep, the nightmare that haunted her was so terrifying that she had run through the hideout to Train's room within seconds, flinging his door open before her rationality was able to catch up to her.

The loud bang of his door hitting the wall woke Train up immediately and he sat up swiftly, squinting at the silhouette in the doorway. It only took him a spilt second to realize who had woken him. Eve stood, fidgeting with the edge of her nightgown, hesitant and embarrassed, afraid he would turn her away.

Train opened his arms wide, welcoming her with an understanding smile. Every bit of self-consciousness Eve had melted away, leaving her with a warm feeling as she snuggled into the safety of his hold, secure in the knowledge that no more bad dreams would plague her that night.

The next morning, she actually slept in a bit. It was just after sunrise when she wiggled free, walking to the door. She even looked back at Train when she reached the doorway. He propped himself up on an elbow, his hair tangled and his night clothes ruffled, a question in his groggy gaze.

"I'm going to the library," she told him. _Liar_, she thought to herself. _The library's not open yet._

If Train knew that he didn't show it. He just smiled and nodded, laying back down, looking like he was prepared to stay in bed until at least noon. Much to Eve's revulsion, the thought of staying with him in bed until midday left a twinge of longing in her heart, making her fingers twitch with the desire to hold him.

She was so disturbed that she ran out the door of their hideout without grabbing a jacket, telling Sven, or even changing out of her pajamas. She walked briskly down the sidewalk, reaching the library before she realized that she had just walked through the city barefoot on a cold, late autumn day, hours before anything in town would open.

Her face was redder than the falling leaves the whole way back to the house.

~*TxE*~

As much as she tried to stay away from Train's room, sometimes Eve couldn't deny herself the safety his presence provided. When the nights were too long or her dreams too frightening, she'd sneak back under Train's covers, refusing to close her eyes until he enveloped her in his embrace, like a stubborn child who couldn't sleep without their favorite doll. It was so surreal; by day they were rivals, maybe friends at the most, but at night they'd hold each other like lovers.

It became something of a weakness for her. And Train made it all too easy, never turning her away or even teasing her for being so dependant. She noticed that he rarely went out at night anymore. Was that for her sake? She wasn't sure.

At first they were silent before they both turned themselves over to their dreams, but as her nightly visits became more frequent, they started to have conversations. Nothing big, just small talk, but Eve liked it. During the day they were always with Sven or chasing after some bounty, so they rarely got the chance to talk to each other one on one. At night he focused his full attention on her, and she found herself enjoying that a little more than she liked to admit.

When morning came, however, she rushed out with an excuse that only got less believable each time. And each time, she'd see the same question in Train's golden eyes.

~*TxE*~

The night after Creed's defeat, they immediately tried to take Train to a hospital, but he stubbornly refused. Nothing they said even came close to convincing him, and he walked to his room with a smug swagger when they finally gave up.

Eve waited for Sven to head for his own room before following Train. This time, she didn't wait for a nightmare. She needed him _now_.

As they settled into their usual positions, Eve could've sworn she heard Train let out a sigh of relief as he tucked her into his arms. She had to admit she felt a little like doing so herself. She couldn't stop thinking about it…that man as he blew himself up for Creed, Kevin getting shot in front of her, Doctor's eyes as he started to cut away her dress…

She shivered and Train held her tighter, slipping a hand under her chin and tilting her eyes up to meet his.

"You're safe now," he whispered. His eyes were serious, determined, and filled with an emotion she couldn't quite name. All her fears flew from her instantly.

"I know," she replied. Train smiled his usual carefree grin, but Eve could still see the strange emotion in his eyes. What was it?

She decided not to think about it. It didn't matter, not really. Train was right. She was _safe_.

She settled into his arms, yawning, drifting off to sleep…

…and then, all too quickly, morning came.

Eve wasn't sure what she should do. Her first instinct was to jump out of bed and run out the door, but…she stared at Train, his face still and tranquil as he slept. He looked so _tired_. He was riddled with cuts and bruises, and Eve knew he was heavily injured, despite what he told her and Sven.

Hesitantly, she brought a hand up to trace his face. Usually, even the slightest touch could wake him, but Train's breathing remained deep and steady, an obvious sign that he was still dozing. Eve let her hand linger on his forehead, checking for a temperature. She was relieved to find his skin cool, meaning none of his wounds were infected.

Absently, Eve lightly ran her fingertips over his eyelids, marveling at his features. Even she couldn't deny that Train was good-looking, though she'd never admit it out loud. Eve brushed his cheek.

Eve froze as Train's breathing became shallow. He had woken up. She tried to pull back quickly, but Train's hand wrapped around hers, holding it in place on his cheek. Eve couldn't help but be in awe of the way his giant hand completely covered her tiny one, amazed even through the panic of being caught caressing his cheek.

His yellow eyes, mere inches from her own pink orbs, opened and squinted at her blearily. It took him a moment to figure out what was going on, and when he finally did his face broke out into his famous grin.

"Morning, Princess," he greeted. His gaze shifted to the clock beside his bed before he turned his attention back to her. "Nine? That's pretty late for you," he commented, raising an eyebrow. "I'm shocked you haven't run out on me yet. Not that I'm complaining."

Eve forced her expression to remain stoic despite the blush spreading across her cheeks. Train's grin just widened.

Humiliated, Eve tried to tug her hand from his grasp, ready to flee from the mortifying situation. But Train's expression turned serious immediately, and he refused to let her go.

That same question, the very one he asked her with his gaze every time she left his room appeared again…but it wasn't just a simple inquiry anymore. His stare was _pleading._ It was smoldering, burning into her, making her really stop to think.

_Will you stay? _his eyes asked.

Eve realized, quite suddenly…she really, _really, __**really **_wanted to give him the answer he was looking for.

A genuine smile stretched across his face when he received his answer. He took her back into his arms, tighter than any other time, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head euphorically. Eve felt almost dizzy with pleasure, his every movement sending electricity though her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling as if a giant wall between them had crashed down.

She whispered the two words over and over as she nuzzled into his chest, repeating them until they both fell back asleep. The answer both of them had been waiting for.

_"I'll stay."_

-

-

-

**~Epilogue~**

Sven was extremely damn _irritated._

At first, he had been happy that Eve got more sleep, even if it meant he didn't see her until noon. He didn't know _why _she suddenly decided she liked sleeping half the day away, but past experiences had proven that he was terrible at understanding his surrogate daughter. As much as the father in him hated to admit it, that was definitely Train's forte.

So when he mentioned Eve's unexplainable new habit to Train, Sven was more than a little perplexed when the young man burst into loud guffaws of laughter.

Sven was suspicious, but he shrugged it off as Train being an idiot. However, he didn't fail to notice the way every night, without fail, Eve bid him goodnight only minutes after Train did. Or how they seemed to get out of bed at the same time. Or how they stood a little closer to each other, blushed a little more in each other's presence…

And then the final nail in the coffin was put in place.

Eve started taking _naps._

"Eve, you just got up an hour ago!" Sven exclaimed as the young blonde headed for her room. "Aren't naps more Train's thing? …Where is he, anyway?"

"I believe he is napping, also," was Eve's monotone reply. And then she rounded a corner and disappeared down the hall, leaving Sven with his suspicions and burning curiosity.

Intrigued by Eve's strange behavior, Sven decided to follow her. He waited a few minutes, then jumped out of his chair and walked quickly down the hall until he came to the first door: Eve's room.

Pushing open her door, he was shocked to find it empty. The bed was made neatly, as if she hadn't slept in it for days. Sven scratched his head as he closed the door. Where else could she be?

Realization dropped to his stomach like a weight as he glanced at the door next to Eve's. Oh no. Oh _hell _no.

Sven ran the last few steps to Train's room as fast as he could, throwing open the door with as much force as he could muster, ready to start screaming and break apart whatever obscene sin they were committing. But then he had to catch the door before it hit the wall, because they were…sleeping. _Peacefully._

Sven gaped at the scene before him. Train was lying on his back, one arm curled around Eve's shoulders. Eve was on her side, her head buried in the crook of Train's neck, her small arm thrown across his chest. And they were – much to Sven's relief – fully dressed.

Sven stared at them, everything clicking into place. He would have _loved _to know how this strange ritual started. His fatherly instinct told him to beat Train to a pulp, but it didn't look like they were doing anything indecent.

No, he wouldn't let them know he had caught on, but maybe he'd hint at it, make them sweat a little. Then again, he'd have to tell them sometime, so maybe they'd move their naps to the living room, or have them in the car. Then he'd at least get to _see _his partners every once in awhile without sneaking into Train's bedroom.

And he'd be absolutely, _positively _sure they never did anything more than hold each other. One step over that line and he'd _kill _Train.

Sven smiled and exited the room, possible ways to murder the black cat slowly and painfully whirling around his head.

-FIN-

**A/N: I guess I kind of like this one, but some things about it bother me. Still, I just **_**had **_**to finish it…I check ever day for a new TrainxEve fic, and yesterday I got so desperate for a fic to read that I started reading a LeonxEve story. Which is okay, if you're a LeonxEve fan, but if you're a diehard TrainxEve shipper like me, you die a little inside. After the first chapter I was like, "**_**what the HELL am I doing?"**_

**So I stopped the insanity and finished this. Hope you enjoyed it~!**


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